Ari B. Molofsky, MD, PhD

Our laboratory goals are to understand the function and regulation of tissue resident lymphocytes in settings of tissue development, remodeling, infection, and pathology, while providing a strong and supportive environment for our research trainees.  By understanding the physiologic roles of tissue-resident immune cells and their regulation, we hope to define novel pathways that can be targeted in diverse human disease, including obesity/type 2 diabetes, allergic pathologies (asthma, allergy, atopic dermatitis), and neuropsychiatric disease. We are focused on type-2 immune-associated lymphocytes, including group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) and subsets of regulatory T (Treg) cells, and the stromal ‘niche’ signals involved in their regulation.  These recently appreciated tissue resident cells are early organizers of tissue remodeling and first responders during tissue damage and infection, positioning them as key mediators of tissue health and disease.